Tube-cleaning plug



May 1, 1328 H. T. WEIS TUBE CLEANING PLUG Original Filed May 27, 1925 j i gl Henry I'M e16 atfmaq Patented May 1, 1928.

En STATES- PATENT oFFrc HENRY 'l. \VETS, OF FAIRMONT, WEST VIRGINTA.

TUBE-CLEANING PLUG.

Original application filed. m 2?, 1925, Serial No. 33,314. Divided and this application filed ltugust so;

1926. sci-m1 No. 132,639.. a

exterior to. the interior of tubes, for the purpose of liquet'ying gases or vapors or gasiitying or vaporizing liquids, certain foreign substances, due to the actual conditions met,

collect upon the inner walls "of the tubes. A good example ofisuch conditions is where a condenser of a manufacturing plant adjacent a river or of a steamer navigating a. river, uses the river water for extracting the latent heat from steam to reduce it to water.

In these condensers, the steam enters the condensing; space and comes into contact Withthe outer walls of the tubes through which the cool water flows- If the walls are clean in a properly designed condenser, the latent heat of the steam will be quickly taken from the steam with the resultant'deposit of the condensed steam on the outer surface of the tubes. A. small vacuum pump keeps air from the condenser and maintamsa vacuum;

\Vhen the water laden. "with mud orot-her undesirable substances, leaves a deposit onthe interior walls of the tubes, there is a notice-- able decrease in the vacuum with a consequent ineflieiency on the partot the condenser, causing an increase in the back pressure on the engine at the exhaust. This lowers the efiiciency and power output of the engine. These conditions are brought about by the heatinsulation caused by the deposit on the inside of the tubes.

The problem of removing this deposit from the interior walls of these tubes is great. The three great elements involved in this problem are (1) time involved in cleaning and loss of use of the condenser, (2) labor in cleaning and (3) expense of cleaning devices.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved tube-cleaning plug.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a. tube cleaning plug having a tube scraping portion, means -for guiding and reinforcingthe tube scraping portion to hold it sti'llly in place.

Anotherand still further object ofmy invention is the provision of a tube cleaning plug having a compressible tube engaging portion prov ded with metallic reinforcements for preventing prematurewear of the tubev contacting surface.

To one skilled n the art, other and further objects of my invention will be apparent Fig. 3' but of a structure using reinforcements of wire layers.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental view of the reinforcement illustrated in Flg. 3.

F .ig'. 6is an enlarge-dtragmental view of the reinforcement illustrated in Fig. 4.

Thesame referencecharacters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the draw- In using my invention I. propose to make the initial diameters of the plug slightly, larger than the bores of thetubes. These plugs will preterablybe;forced into and through the tubes by an air gun which will have suiiicient pressure to forcefthe plugs through the bore of the tube.

The plug comprises a cylindrical body 10 having an outer tube engaging surface 11 and is constructed of rubber, rubber composition or any suitable material. The body portion 10 has a sufficient axial length to prevent its axis getting out of alignment with the axis of the tube being cleaned and to give the plug, as a whole, stability. In order to cause the outer surface of the plug to properly engage the wall of the tube to be cleaned, I make the diameter, of the plug body, slightly larger than the bore of the tube.

In order to hold the plug stilt, to prevent excessive wear and to provide additional means, aside from the edges 14, 15, to scrape till the inner surfaces of the tubes to be cleaned, I provide metallic reinforcements indicated at 16 on the drawing.

These reinforcements may take the form of wire fabric, such as I have illustrate-d at 16 in Figures 3 and 5, or they may be con: structed by placing of wires, in layers as illustrated at 16 in Figures at and 6.

The incorporation of the reinforcing means 16, 16, in the body portion 10, may be carried out in any well known or suitable manner.

The wire fabric or layers should prefer ably be bent in such a way that there will be an outward tendency of the ends of the individual wires in order to have them normally in position to scrape the inner wall of the tube. It has been found that plugs having the ends of the wires in contact with the wall of the tube being cleaned, are very much more effective to remove the foreign substances than the same structure without such reinforcement. It has also been found in practice that the tendency to wear is very much less in the plugs with the reinforcements, than in those without such reinforcements.

Vhile I have shown and described in detail modifications of my invention, Idesire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact showing in the drawing and that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s:

1. A tube cleaning plug having a yielding body portion provided with a. tube contacting surface, a non-rigid reinforcing means comprising elongated metallic elements of relatively small cross section embedded in the plug body and having portions of said elongated elements extending through the tube contacting surface in position to engage the wall of the tube.

2. A tube cleaning plug having a yielding body portion provided with a tube engaging surface, a flexible metallic reinforcing means, the component parts of which are elongated and of relatively small cross section and which extend through the body of the plug and have their ends at the tube engaging surface in position to engage the wall of the tube to be cleaned.

3. A tube cleaning plug having a yielding body portion provided with a tube engaging surface, a flexible metallic woven. reinforcing means, the component parts of which extend through the body of the plug and having their ends at the cylinder contacting surface in position to engage the wall of the tube to be cleaned.

L. A tube cleaning plug having a yield ing body portion provided with a tube engaging surface,a wire reinforcing means, the component parts of which extend through the body of the plug and having their ends at the cylinder contacting surface in position to engage the wall of the tube to be cleaned.

5. A tube cleaning plug of rubber or the like having a tube engaging surface, a wire reinforcing means. the component parts of which extend through the body of the plug and having their ends at the cylinder contacting surface in position to engage the wall of the tube to be cleaned.

6. A tube cleaning plug of rubber or the like, having a tube engaging surface, a woven wire reinforcing means, the strands of which extend through the surface of the plug in position to engage the wall of the tube to be cleaned.

7. A tube cleaning plug having a resilient body portion provided with a tube contacting surface, a flexible metallic reinforcing means comprising elongated elements of relat1vely small cross section embedded in the plug body and having portions of said elongated elements extendingin position to engage the wall of the tube.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

HENRY T. VEIS. 

